How to Prepare for Microsoft Windows 10 End of Life

Windows 10 end of life is October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10.

• You can use Windows 10 until October 14, 2025.
• You must keep Windows 10 updated to get support until October 14, 2025.
• You need to upgrade to Windows 11 and this most likely means new devices.

Risk of running Windows 10 after October 14, 2025

Once a product reaches the end of support, or a service retires there will be no new security updates, non-security updates, or assisted support. Therefore, your Windows 10 devices will not be as safe and effective.

Your Windows 10 devices will be:

·       open to cyber-attacks.

·       more likely to experience poor performance.

·       unable to be repaired.

Even with all the third-party protection you can get (like our EDR), it still won’t make up for the lack of security updates once Windows 10 reached end of life. Secure businesses use a modern operating system along with the best third-party protection.

Microsoft also updated its Lifecycle Policy

Under the Modern Lifecycle Policy, the user must keep the version of the product up to date to remain in support.  Each version has an end date for support.

Our Recommendation

Due to functionality concerns, AME Service recommends an assessment to determine what may be required for you to make the transition. To avoid disruption for clients, we have not pushed the new OS updates without evaluation and planning. Our Operations Support Center has tested the new OS with AME’s management & protection tools (like EDR).

Windows 11

Microsoft launched Windows 11 Operating System (OS) in 2021.  Windows 11 has requirements that include hardware security features.  There is a good chance that over 30% of your employee devices DO NOT meet the minimum hardware standards for this new OS.  Likewise, third party tools and applications may also require updates or upgrades to operate under Windows 11. Read more about what you need to know when upgrading to Windows 11.

Ultimately, moving to Windows 11 could present hardware, software, and project costs to your business. But there are advantages to doing so beyond being forced to. Operating systems update and improve, bringing advanced security improvements and performance gains. You may not want to learn a new user-interface design, but there are the multiple different windows layouts, so you are not stuck. Windows 11 suspends some data in RAM so it wakes up faster, it also has “boosted” SSD speeds. And, we all love AI, don’t we? Check out CoPilot. 👩‍✈️ There are many reasons to like Windows 11, just prepare for the changes so it’s not painful.

Windows 11 available on October 5 | Windows Experience Blog